Reason for Being
by Lady Nightshade
Summary: The reason Kurone is protecting Panthera and her family ONE SHOT


Reason for Being  
  
Author's Notes: This goes into why Kurone is so dedicated to Panthera and her family. The story will intertwine with "Thief of Hearts", Demon Beloved", and "Flames of Love". Takes place when Kurone is supposedly dead and up to when he is introduced back into the story at the Tournament. So enjoy!  
  
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Kurone had never felt so much before in his entire life. He pulled his bleeding aching body out from the bamboo pools that had held him in place while the hunters had tortured him. He crawled slowly toward an open plan that was green and full of life. The moment he paced over the threshold between the Makai and this paradise he felt his draining life flow back into him. The last thing he thought before passing out was the he hoped his king and queen were fine and that Parn would forgive him for abandoning her. Then as darkness descended upon him his saw a woman bathed in white garments walking toward him slowly.   
  
The moment Kurone woke up he knew he was no longer in Makai, he just couldn't figure out where. He sat up in the small bed he was lying in and noticed that his body was wrapped in bandages. He touched his neck and panicked for a moment wondering where his necklace was. Then out of the corner of his eyes he saw something flashing red in the sunlight. A sigh of relief left his mouth when he saw it resting on a small table at his bed side.  
  
"You are awake good," said a woman walking into the room.   
  
Kurone looked up and took in the appearance of the woman before him. The woman had black hair that had been plaited into a long braid that feel down past her hips, her bangs hung framed her silver eyes which regarded him with a calm curiosity. Her build and height were about average although from the looks of her it was obvious that she could easily take care of herself. She wore loose clothing that was made up of a one-piece cloth like the dress of a Greek temple maiden; it had slits up its sides until it reached the hips abruptly stopping yet showing skin, a lot of skin, the sleeves had holes that were separated by fancy buttons of silver and sliver belts clung to their waist right above their hips, one wide one and two slim ones. The jewelry she wore were anklets of thin silver circles, her bracelets were circles as well, she had an arm band on their upper and lower arms they were half an inch long, she wore silver hoop earrings, and had a pendent hanging from a long silver chord the pendent was in the shape of a tear drop crystal with something inside that looked like interwoven loops with small balls of light scattered throughout it.   
  
"Who are you?" asked Kurone.  
  
"My name," said the woman placing the tray of food that she had been carrying onto the table next to his pendant. "Is Jade. This is your dinner for now until you can get more strength."  
  
"Why did you heal me Jade?" asked Kurone as the woman walked away. "I could kill you, you know?"  
  
"You won't," said Jade at the door.   
  
"How can you be so sure?" asked Kurone reaching for the bread.   
  
Jade looked over his shoulder at him and flashed him a kind smile, "Because you won't. Sleep well Kurone."  
  
"Hey wait!" shouted Kurone but it was too late the door was already closed.  
  
Kurone sighed and leaned back against the bed nibbling at his bread trying to make sense of why he was here.  
  
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A week had gone past since Kurone had ended up under Jade's care and he finally found himself strong enough to walk around without anyone's help; before now he had been walking around with the aide of Jade's husband, Roc. He was walking down the hall toward the garden to find Jade and hopefully get some answers that he wanted and needed.   
  
"Jade where the hell are you?!" demanded Kurone.  
  
"Here by the rose bushes," said the female calmly getting to her feet and brushing the dirt from her white robes. "What can I do for you Kurone?"  
  
"You can start answering my questions for one!" snapped Kurone.  
  
Jade looked at him for a moment before sighing and nodding her head. "Alright Kurone follow me."  
  
Kurone followed the woman down a path surrounded by trees and to a bench in front of a trickling fountain.   
  
"Have a seat Kurone," said the woman seating down on the park bench.  
  
Kurone glared at her before taking a seat on the fountain. Jade just chuckled and placed her basket down at her feet before folding her hands in her lap and staring at him expectantly.   
  
"Well," said Jade. "What questions do you want answered Kurone?"  
  
"How did you know my name onna?" asked Kurone.  
  
"Simple," said Jade, pointing at the pendant. "Your pendant told me a lot of things about you."  
  
"How could my pendant tell you my name?" asked Kurone.  
  
"Your pendant as your essence all around it," explained Jade. "I got many things about your past and whom you are."  
  
"Such as?" asked Kurone laughing.  
  
"Your name for one," said Jade after a moment. "It also told me you ran with the great Yoko Kurama, yet lived by your own code. It tells me that your pack is your family and that you, Kurama, and Yomi were the closet out of all of them. That your leader, Kurama, had recently chosen a mate and that you had your own mate, Parn. You still love her and are worried that her feelings for you will stop know that everyone thinks you are dead; because the mating was not complete for one reason or another."  
  
Kurone watched Jade with a scowl on his face when she finally finished telling him what she had learned.   
  
"Smart ass!" he growled.   
  
"Is there anything else you want to know?" asked Jade laughing.  
  
"Why aren't you afraid of me?" asked Kurone.   
  
"At this moment you are in no position to attack me and survive," said Jade truthfully.  
  
"What about later?"  
  
"Later you will not attack me either," said Jade calmly.   
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I know about your kind Kurone," said Jade flatly. "You hold honor very high thief or not."  
  
"It is true," said Kurone flatly. "I do hold honor in high esteem. Tell me did you learn that from me as well?"  
  
"No from a friend of mine," said Jade softly.   
  
"Who was your friend?" asked Kurone.  
  
Jade didn't answer she just stared at the trees around them in silence and Kurone got the hint that questions about the woman's demon friends were out of bounds  
  
"Why did you save me?" asked Kurone after another moment of silence.  
  
Jade was silent for several minutes deep in thought before her eyes opened and she stared into his eyes.  
  
"You will be needed soon," she said softly. "Very soon."  
  
Kurone drew back and felt shiver crawl up and down his spine somehow his fate was intertwined with this woman's bloodline.  
  
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A month after Kurone had been brought onto the grounds he was well enough to no longer need the bandages. He had no intention of going back to his pack; he had a feeling he was no longer needed and there was nothing left for him. There was however, something for him here. He could see it in the pale silver eyes of the Priestess of the Earth.   
  
"What will you do now that you have fully healed?" asked Jade after a moment of silence around the spring that lead from the temple out into the earth itself.   
  
"I will stay with you," said Kurone.   
  
"I see," said Jade.   
  
Kurone looked down at the woman she didn't seem to surprised by this knowledge.   
  
"You knew that would be my decision didn't you?"   
  
"I did."  
  
"Then why did you ask?"  
  
"I didn't think it would be right to presume anything."  
  
"I see," said Kurone watching Jade's one year old daughter run about the grounds.   
  
"I am dying Kurone," said Jade after a moment.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Kurone.  
  
"I am dying," said Jade.  
  
"I heard that," snapped Kurone. "What do you mean by it though?"  
  
"I want you to train my daughter," said Jade getting up and walking down the temple steps.  
  
"Train her?"  
  
"Yes," said Jade. "She will your help to control the power that courses through her veins after I am gone. From her will come a great woman and from that woman will come the saviors of the three worlds. Do you understand what I am asking you to do?"  
  
"You are asking me to go against my nature and allow myself to serve a female that isn't even demon," said Kurone dryly.  
  
"I am," said Jade her mouth twisting in humor. "So will you accept?"  
  
"I will accept," said Kurone nodding.   
  
"Thank you," said Jade. "As the sun sets on my reign it will rise on hers."  
  
Kurone watched the woman turn and enter the shrine becoming lost in the shadows.  
  
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Two months later Jade died and the reign over the temple and the stability of Earth was passed on to her daughter, Raven (A/N: not Panthera's mother), a woman who was the splitting image of her mother. Kurone walked over to her after Jade's funeral and kneeled before her, he took her hand in his and kissed it.   
  
"I am at your command," said Kurone sofly.  
  
"Kurone-san why do you bow to me?" asked the child.  
  
"I place myself in your service as your guard and trainer."  
  
"I don't want you to bow to me," said the girl wrapping her arms around his neck. "I don't want a servant. I want a friend."  
  
Kurone slide his arms around the child's small body and stood up carrying her into the house.  
  
"Come," he whispered into her dark hair. "You need some sleep for tomorrow we will start your training."  
  
"Okay Kurone-san," said the girl.  
  
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The generations of women came and went each being trained by Kurone to fight and by their mother to control their powers. Until finally the girl of legends was born into the world on the dark of night beneath the dark of the moon; a hybrid child, born of a Fire Demon and a Temple Maiden; with eyes the color of the silver moon and hair the color of the clouds on a clear day. Kurone watched her grown into a beautiful young woman until he had been called away by her father on important business, missing his old partner and leaders by a mere day. However, they were destined to meet again at a great tournament.   
  
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After things had died down at the tournament everyone returned to the Temple of Earth.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us you were alive?" asked Kurama coming up to Kurone who was keeping an eye on the still form of Panthera.  
  
"I didn't think I was needed anymore," said Kurone softly. "I was needed here and I still am."  
  
"Parn nearly died when I cam back without you," said Kurama softly.   
  
Kurone didn't say anything and began to finger his scythe. "Have you heard from her?"  
  
"No," said Kurama. "Not since I left."  
  
"Are you mad that I survived and didn't return."  
  
"I am in a way but I understand why you didn't return," said Kurama.   
  
"Do you?"  
  
"You gave your word to protect the princess' family," said Kurama. "I would assume that much."  
  
"You are correct," said Kurone. "And I will do anything in my power to protect her and her future mate and I will kill anyone who gets in my way."  
  
That said Kurone left the room and headed toward the temple's divination room to talk to Raven.   
  
"So," said Kurama watching his former partner. "That is it I always wondered ever since I saw you holding her why you protected her so savagely. Her family saved your life and you are bound to them for all your life. You have changed old friend and for the better I might add." Kurama turned back toward Panthera. "Fire nymph I don't know what it is about the women in your family but they have a remarkable affect on people."  
  
Kurama chuckled and walked away from the room hearing the start of an argument.  
  
THE END  
  
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Author's Notes: Well another story up and posted and I don't think I will be posting anymore for the weekend until I get an idea for how to connect the points in the final chapter. 


End file.
